Episode 5: Employment Law, Silicon Valley-Style

Employee Handbook Ch. 1: Dress for Success

We’re back, and in this episode, we take our cue from Silicon Valley to bring you tales of… employment law! We look at the saga of Mark Hurd at H-P and Oracle, and Hollywood’s dramatization of the founding of our favorite Social Network, as cautionary tales of how not to handle employees. Attorney Aaron Agenbroad of Jones Day helps us figure out how to make the right decisions about starting and ending a business relationship.

00:00 Introductions and podcast topics

01:21 Even a sophisticated company like H-P has trouble with employment matters— just look at their love-hate (employment) relationship with ex-CEO Mark Hurd. Facebook Status= “it’s complicated”.

06:41 We sort of have to be fans of The Social Network, as half the movie takes place in legal meetings! We understand if you don’t want the movie about your business to be set entirely in board rooms, but in that case, you might want to invest in a few contracts at the outset. Facebook Status= “(don’t leave it to) random play”.

09:30 A conversation with Aaron Agenbroad, employment and labor lawyer extraordinaire. We cover the basics that every employer should know: how to comply with requirements in your jurisdiction, how to create an employee handbook, and when to get employment agreements, non-disclosure and non-compete agreements. Facebook Status= “in an (employment) relationship”.

25:08 Rocket Docket: was H-P right to fire Mark Hurd, or was it, as Larry Ellison called it, a “stupid decision”? Is H-P in their rights to sue Oracle for hiring Hurd? Post your verdict on our Facebook page! You can also follow us on Twitter @RocketLawyer, or check out our other blogs: Legally Easy, Rocket Lawyer Press, and Sociable Lawyer.

Additional resources for compliance and requirements include: the US Department of Labor, the Legal Aid Society’s Employment Law Center, your State and City Chamber of Commerce and Department of Labor, Rocket Lawyer’s Free Legal Help Center, and of course, the input of a professional. You can find a lawyer at rocketlawyer.com.